Choices 1
by Tail Kinker
Summary: Why do these odd things keep happening to Ranma and crew? Why is it always against their will? This fanfic does not address this question at all. Instead, we’ll explore what might happen if they were given the choice...
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer_

_Ranma 1/2 and the characters and situations within were created by Rumiko Takahashi, and are owned by Shonen Sunday, Kitty, Viz, et al ad nauseum. They are not mine. Please don't sue me._

* * *

**Tail Kinker Presents **

**Choices I: Planned Brotherhood **

**-1-**

* * *

Cologne stared down at the letter in her hands, a look of complete disbelief in her eyes. She'd had this message for almost three hours, and she still could not quite believe its import. It was impossible. It was inconcievable.

Actually, when she stopped to think about it, it was rather expected, and she wondered what had taken them so long.

The bell over the Nekohanten door rang, and Ranma stepped in.

"Hey, Granny. I heard you wanted to talk to me?"

Cologne looked up from table. "Yes, Ranma. Please, sit down."

Ranma's eyebrow raised. "'Ranma'? Not 'Son-in-law'?"

"We have serious things to discuss. Now is not the time for verbal fencing."

Ranma shrugged, and sat. "All right. Elder."

Cologne chuckled. "No need to overdo it." She made a final mark in the ledger book, snapped it shut, then slid the various bills and receipts - and that one other document - to the side. "Now, as to why I called you here: I have a choice to offer you. I have procured a means to cure your curse."

Ranma raised a hand. "Whoa. If the cost is me marryin' Shampoo, you should know--"

"Yes, I know; you have finally admitted your love to Akane. All it took was a mountain splitting and the death of a God."

He shrugged. "Well, sometimes, things need a bit of a push, you know?"

"Indeed." Cologne grinned, then set a small flask on the table. "Know what this is?"

"Uhh..." Ranma frowned. "My first guess is that it'd be water from Nannichuan, but..."

"But?"

"But that's too obvious. You wouldn't have asked if that's what it was."

"And they say you're stupid." She chuckled. "You are right, Ranma. It is _not_ water from the Spring of Drowned Man. Such would be worthless, even dangerous, to you."

"Why? Wouldn't that cure the curse?"

Cologne shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that there is no simple cure for the curse. Using Nannichuan water would put you in a worse position than you are now. Remember Taro?"

"Yeah, he jumped into a second spring and..." Ranma's eyes widened. "You mean I'd become--" A shudder. "Man, I'm real glad that the Japanese Nannichuan was shut down."

"Actually, the irony is, that would've worked. Completely different magic."

"Nuts."

"What is in this bottle, is water from the Spring of Drowned Twins."

Ranma leaned forward, and studied the bottle. "Isn't that the stuff that Taro had? Though he thought it was something else."

"Yes. Normally, a person who has been exposed to this water will, when the curse is triggered, fission into two identical twins. The fissioning is very painful." She chuckled. "I know of one Amazon woman, who has had three children, and is cursed with this water. She has said, on several occasions, that she'd rather give birth to all three children, at their current ages, than undergo one more fissioning."

"Ouch." Ranma paused. "How old are her kids?"

"The youngest is seventeen."

"Ouch again."

"Yes." She chuckled. "And since it is still a Jushenkyou curse, the hot water/cold water rules still apply. As does the tendency to be...how do you put it again?"

"A water magnet?"

"That's it."

"Hold on, I just thoughta something." Ranma frowned. "Since the curses combine, wouldn't this mean that a cursed person who used this water would fission into their normal form and their cursed form?"

"Very good, Ranma."

"This ain't no cure!" Ranma stood up. "This just makes things way worse!"

"Not really." Cologne dropped another item on the table, a long-handled silver ladle. "Do you recognize this?"

Ranma dropped back into his seat, a look of dread on his face. "The Chiisuiton."

"Yes. Now, can you put the pieces together?"

Ranma frowned, and thought. "The Chiisuiton would lock my curse. And that stuff--" His eyes widened. "So you use the Spring of Drowned Twins to split my curse, then lock it! I'd be a man forever!"

"Yes." Cologne smiled, and waited for the other shoe to fall.

It didn't take long. Ranma's brow creased. "But there'd be this other me, a girl, trapped in a female body forever." Then he brightened. "No, she wouldn't! She could just jump in Nannichuan--"

Cologne rapped him across the forehead with the Chiisuiton. "Wrong. And you were doing so well, too."

"Oh, right. We'd still be cursed, and then we'd both end up dickgirls or something." Ranma sighed. "Well, it seems like a good idea. Why are you offering me these?"

Cologne rolled her eyes. "You still haven't thought it through. Yes, there would be this 'other you' running around, a girl in all ways. Tell me, who would this girl be?"

"It'd be me, of course."

Cologne decided to give him five seconds. It only took three.

"Wait a minute...that means it'd be me, stuck as a girl forever. _Me_."

Cologne nodded. "Yes, Ranma. Use this combination, and you would indeed be a man forever. But you would also be a woman forever."

* * *

"I'm home!"

Akane stepped out of her shoes, pulled on her slippers, and looked around the front hall.

"Kasumi? Nabiki?"

She walked into the family room, and noted the shogi board, unused. She stuck her head into the kitchen. Nobody.

"Father? Ranma?"

Still no answer. She shrugged. Well, it meant that she had the house to herself for once. Probably they were out somewhere--

Wait. She glanced out towards the pond, and saw Ranma sitting by the pond. He was in girl form at the moment, sitting with his back towards her. He was rocking back and forth, muttering something she couldn't make out. And he was practically _radiating_ confusion.

She walked up behind him, until she could make out what he was saying.

"...can't do that to her, even if she _is_ me. But it's my only chance..." She let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I had someone to talk to about this."

"Will I do?"

He jumped, high enough to land straight on his feet. Akane giggled.

"Jeez, Akane. What the heck are ya tryin' ta do? Give me a heart attack?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't actually mean to startle you."

"Ah, it's okay." He waved it off.

"So what's wrong?"

"Oh." The redhead plopped back down next to the pond. Akane sat next to him, smoothing her skirt beneath her as she did.

"I just got back from visitin' the old ghoul. She says she's got some things that could cure my curse. But there's a catch."

"With her, there always is."

"Yeah, but this one's a doozy. See, the trick is that she's got some water that will split my curse. Make a boy Ranma and a girl Ranma. Then she can lock it so we never change."

Akane considered this. "That would work, wouldn't it? Except for the girl you still being around."

"Yeah, that's what's eatin' me." Ranma picked up a pebble and tossed it helplessly into the pool. "'Cause it's real important to remember that that girl...would still be me."

"I kinda figured that out, Ranma. I'm not stupid, you know."

"I know. But I don't think you really get it yet." Ranma shuddered. "That girl would be _me_, in every way. But a girl, forever."

Akane nodded. "I think I see."

"So I got a chance to be a boy forever, but part of the price is that I also will be a girl forever."

"But it won't be you, it'll be--" Akane paused. "It'll be you. I understand. From that girl's point of view, she will be...you."

"Yeah."

"What's the other part of the price?"

"Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse have been kicked out of the Amazons." Ranma chuckled. "Cologne says they're gonna try starting an Amazon tribe right here in Nerima."

"Well, they'll fit right in. Everything else wierd happens here."

"Or Juuban." Ranma nodded. "The other half of the price is that I have to join 'em."

Akane scowled. "You are _not_ going to marry Shampoo."

"No!" He raised his hands in self-defense. "Nothin' like that! It'd be my girl self joinin', as an Amazon warrior."

"Oh." The thunderclouds receded. "Well, would that be so bad?"

"Naw, that's the easy part." Ranma sighed. "What I have to think about is, is the first part of it worth the cure?"

Akane gazed at her fiance with sudden respect. "I'm really impressed, Ranma...you actually stopped to think about the consequences of your actions."

"Don't praise me too much, Akane...Cologne told me she wouldn't give me the cure unless I could prove that I'd really thought about it."

"Figures." Akane chuckled. "Knew it was too good to be true."

"Tomboy."

"Pervert."

"Heh." A gleam came into the girl's eyes. "If I take the cure, then I could show you a real pervert."

"NO!" Akane jumped to her feet, laughing. "Don't even think about that, Ranma!"

"What's wrong?" He jumped up as well. "Thought you loved me, even when I'm a girl?"

Akane gave him a shove, and he fell back into the pond. Since he was already female, this did nothing other than cause him to sputter. Akane knelt, and offered a hand.

"So why were you in girl form?"

Ranma took her hand, and she pulled him out of the pond. He looked away from her, absently wringing the water out of his silk shirt.

"I needed to think about bein' a girl. And I figured I couldn't think about it unless I was one."

"Okay..." Akane shrugged. "What have you thought about?"

"Well, the worst part is that the me that is a girl will be really pissed with the me that is a boy. And no matter which one _I_ end up as--" He paused. "But that doesn't really matter, does it. _I_ will be both." He shook his head. "Man, this is a tough one."

"Very mind-boggling, yes." Akane smiled. "Wonder why we're taking it so calmly?"

"Because after all the looniness that's come along in the last year, this bit is almost sensible?"

"Might be."

"Akane, I think I'm gonna do this. It's probably the hardest thing I've ever decided, but I'm gonna do this." He looked up, and she was startled to see tears in his eyes. "But I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"When I'm a...girl, I need you to give me all the support you can, okay? Make sure I don't fall apart. Because once _this_..." He held out his arms, indicating his currently female state. "Once _this_ is my only form, no more man-among-men, forever...I don't know what's gonna happen to me."

Akane nodded. "I understand."

* * *

"I've thought about it."

Cologne looked from Ranma, currently in his female form, to Akane, standing protectively close to him. "I do believe you have."

"You wanted proof I'd thought, right? I--"

She waved him off. "You brought Akane with you. Obviously, you had the common sense to talk to her about it. No further proof is needed." She hopped off her chair and walked back to the kitchen.

When she returned, she bore the flask and the ladle. "Akane, the substance in this bottle is very dangerous. I recommend you stand as far away as you can get. Under no curcumstances are you to touch Ranma until we are complete."

"I understand." She walked back to the door, and turned to face the two.

Cologne raised the bottle. "This is your last chance, Ranma."

"I know." Ranma knelt before the old woman. "Go ahead."

Cologne carefully uncorked the flask, and poured it over Ranma's head.

And Ranma screamed. It was the most heart-rending cry imaginable, the sound of utter agony. And suddenly, it was two screams, identical save in pitch. Akane's eyes widened, as she saw his clothing begin to strain at the seams.

"Ranma!" She started to leap forward--

"NO!" Cologne raised a hand, and Akane stopped, mid-lunge. "Idiot girl! If you touch him now, you will suffer the same fate!"

Ranma's clothes gave way, tearing with an unpleasant sound, and two forms sprawled away from them. One, her tall, handsome fiance, the other, the petite girl with whom she'd arrived. Both lay naked on the floor, the ruined clothes between them. The screams had stopped; both Ranmas were unconscious.

Cologne raised the ladle, and splashed the twins with the contents. "It is now safe to approach. I have locked the curse." She shook her head. "Too well I remember this transformation. Three seconds of unbearable agony." She sighed.

Akane looked up in surprise. "You--?"

"No. My granddaughter." Cologne looked saddened. "I would have given a great deal to have the Chiisuiton in my possession thirty years ago. I could have done for her what I did for Ranma."

The male Ranma was stirring, mumbling something under his breath. Cologne turned, grabbing two bundles of cloth, and handed Akane one of Mousse's white robes. "Here. He will want this, and quickly, when he comes to." The second item was a two-piece Chinese suit, similar to the one Ranma had been wearing moments ago, but in green silk. "And this one, one of Shampoo's, for..." She frowned. "...for Ranma."

"Ranko."

"Hm?"

The girl on the floor opened her eyes. "I'm gonna need a new name, to go with the new me. I used the name Ranko before, when I was hidin' from my Mom." She sniffed, and slowly sat up. "I can't be Ranma anymore, can I?"

Akane stared at the girl, then ran forward and knelt before her. "No, I guess you can't." She smiled at the girl. "But you can be Ranko. I'm Akane. Wanna be friends?"

Ranko smiled a bit. "Akane, I'm still--"

"I know. But those were the first words I ever said to you."

"...I guess." She looked down at herself. "Guess I should cover up, eh?"

"Still no feminine modesty?"

"Why would I need..." Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes, and she lunged forward, hugging Akane to her. "Why...feminine modesty?" She managed a chuckle, though it sounded as much like a sob. "Just us...girls here."

She glanced over at the still-unconscious Ranma, a look of longing on her face. "It's strange...I thought I'd really resent him, because he's still a boy. It was what I was most afraid of." She smiled a bit. "But I'm not."

"Why not, Ranko?"

"Because _I chose this._"

* * *

Ranma stole a glance at the two girls walking beside him. One, he felt he knew reasonably well; the other, he felt he didn't know at _all_.

Which was odd, considering that that one...was him.

His former girl form was clutching Akane's arm like it was a lifeline. She'd always been small, but in Shampoo's green silk suit, made for a somewhat larger girl, she seemed even more reduced. That, plus the fact that she was cringing.

He turned his gaze to Akane. His fiancee had an arm around the smaller girl, and occasionally murmured something reassuring. Perhaps she felt his gaze on her; she looked up at him, and flashed him a sad smile.

He sighed, and looked ahead. He could see the gates of the Tendo compound; the sooner he could get the girls through the gate, the better she'd feel--

He mentally cursed. _Ranko_, he told himself. _She's not just some girl, she's not your cursed form, she's Ranko. And right now, she's in her own personal hell._

He was disturbed at a very deep level; To him, the girl was still _him_. He couldn't look over at her without a sudden lurch in his stomach.

They walked through the gates, walked into the house, and Ranma was struck with a sudden sense of panic.

_I never told Mom or Dad about this..._

But long before he could even consider a way to break the news to them, it was too late.

"Ranma?" Nodoka had come around the corner from the family room, and spotted Ranko, still clutched tightly to Akane's arm. "What happened to you? And why are you dressed like--" She stopped as she caught sight of him, and her hand flew to her mouth.

"Ranma...?" She looked back to Ranko, then to Ranma again. "Oh, my..."

Ranko had gone white as a sheet. Ranma winced; he knew exactly what must be going through her mind.

_Oh, no, it's katana time..._

He cleared his throat. "Mom, I've got good news, and bad news." He sighed. "The good news is that my curse is cured. The bad news..." He waved a hand towards Ranko.

The girl bit her lip, her eyes pleading.

Nodoka looked at the girl, and then back to Ranma. "The cure split you in two?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "And I know you're real disappointed in me, but--"

"Disappointed?" Nodoka shook her head. "Bad news? I can't believe you'd think that my having my Ranko back is bad news!"

Ranko's eyes welled with tears. She flew to her mother, wrapping her arms around the taller woman. Nodoka laughed, and ran her hand along the girl's hair.

"...Yeah, Ranko's back." Ranma grinned weakly.

"I was so _scared!_"

Nodoka looked down at her 'daughter'. "Why would you be scared?"

"Because I _chose_ to do this."

Nodoka took a step back. "What do you mean?"

* * *

"...And it was only as we walked into the house that I realized that you might not be too happy with this."

Nodoka sighed. "Have I seemed that terrible to you, dear?"

"Well...it was mostly what Pop had to say."

"That would explain that." Nodoka smiled. "Let me put your fears to rest.

"In the first place, I want you to know that I am very proud of you."

Ranko blinked. "Proud?"

"Why, of course! You were faced with a difficult choice, and you chose a path that must have terrified you." Nodoka shook her head. "I can only imagine the strain it put you under. To know that you'd be a woman for the rest of your life..."

Ranma spoke up. "To be honest, Mom, I have to say, I also knew that I'd be a man for the rest of my life. Kinda coloured my judgement."

Nodoka turned to her son. "Yes, Ranma, but you _did_ remember the other side." She beamed. "And you were brave enough to face it like a man."

"Oh." Ranma looked very relieved.

"Second, while I am certainly not _thrilled_ that you failed to mention it to me, I am pleased that you at least discussed it with your fiancee before making the choice."

Nodoka turned back to her new daughter. "And, dear, I am so _happy_ that you're back! We can have lots of fun, like we used to, cooking and shopping..."

"Yay." Ranko's voice was flat. Nodoka laughed.

"Oh, I know. You never really enjoyed such things. I'm afraid I'll have to resign myself to your being a bit of a tomboy."

Akane snickered.

Ranko glared daggers at her.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer_

_Ranma 1/2 and the characters and situations within were created by Rumiko Takahashi, and are owned by Shonen Sunday, Kitty, Viz, et al ad nauseum. They are not mine. Please don't sue me._

* * *

**Tail Kinker Presents **

**Choices I: Planned Brotherhood **

**-2-**

* * *

Akane opened the bedroom door and stepped in, looking around. There was space on the floor for a futon, and she kept one under her bed. This would do for a short time; soon, Auntie Saotome's house would be fixed, and then Ranma and Ranko would probably be living there.

So would she, for that matter; she wasn't going to just let her fiancee and his twin walk away.

She turned, to see Ranko still standing in the hall.

"Well, don't be shy; come on in."

Ranko nervously walked into the bedroom. "Every other time I've come in here, I've gotten pounded."

Akane laughed. "Not this time, I promise. Things are a little different now."

Ranko looked down. "Yeah..."

"I've got a futon available, and you can use the bottom two drawers on the dresser; they're empty." She looked the girl up and down. "I don't think you'll fit into my old school uniform very well; you're shorter than me, and have a bigger bust."

Ranko looked up, with a bit of terror in her eyes. "School?"

"Of course."

"But..." She shrugged. "Guess everyone's gonna find out eventually." She winced. "Oh, man, I am _not_ looking forward to Kuno finding out."

Akane giggled, then said, "I don't think we'll need to worry about a uniform. You never wore one before."

"Mom's probably gonna insist." She sighed. "You heard what she said; she's happy to have a _daughter_ again. And you just _know_ that she's gonna want to turn her daughter into a 'proper young woman.'"

"Well, we'll deal with that when it comes up." Akane paused, then started to unbutton her blouse.

"ACK!" Ranko turned and reached for the door.

"Ranko." Akane's voice was firm. "You're a girl now, remember?"

"I..." Ranko sighed. "I keep forgettin'." Her hand dropped from the doorknob. "This is real hard on me, Akane."

"I know. And you asked me, when you were still Ranma, to help you, right?"

Ranko shook her head. "How is this helpin'?"

"Because you're a _girl_ now, right? You're going to have to get used to being one." Akane laughed a bit unsteadily. "I'm going to have to get used to it, too...It took a lot of willpower for me to take off this shirt."

Ranko shook her head. "But I can't be a real girl, because..."

"Because all of the crap your father filled your head with?" Akane put a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "How you had to be manly?"

"Yeah." Ranko shuddered. "Look how manly I am."

"Ranko..." Akane was somewhat lost for words.

Ranko turned to face Akane. "Why did you--" She broke off, realizing that Akane had removed the blouse, though she still wore her bra. She glanced down, the back up hurriedly. "Sorry."

Akane snickered. "Some things don't change, huh?"

"Akane, I never tried to peep at you before, okay? Except for that one time my Mom made me do it."

"I know, Ranko." Her grin widened. "Though any time you _did_ walk in on me, you never hesitated to look."

Ranko shrugged, and said, "Well, I'm still human."

"So much for calling me sexless, though."

Ranko chuckled.

"Look, Ranko. I'm real sorry that this had to happen to you."

"Don't be," said Ranko. "I wanted to do this, remember?"

"I know, but still..."

"This was the only way that Ranma coulda cured himself, right? The only way he coulda been a whole man for you."

Akane stepped back in shock. "For...me?"

"Yeah, you were always goin' on about how you didn't want no half-man pervert for a fiancee. All the time I was searchin' for a cure, it was for you." She looked up at the taller girl. "Well, we found one, but it means that I..." She sniffed.

Akane grabbed the smaller girl in a bear hug. "Ranko...thank you. It does mean a lot to me. But you must've known that I'd love you, even with the curse."

"I know." Ranko's voice was muffled.

"And I still love you, both you and him." She released the smaller girl. "Though I should tell you, that it's _him_ I'm going to marry. I'm sorry."

"I know." Ranko smiled. Then frowned, and wiped a bit of blood from her nose. "Uh, Akane..."

Akane scowled. "I forgot, when I hugged you..." She looked down at herself. "And here I am, in only a bra..." She looked back up, fire in her eyes.

Ranko raised her hands. "It's not what it--"

"I should've thought it through." Akane whipped out a mallet, and smacked herself with it. "Akane no baka."

Ranko stared...and laughed.

* * *

Ranma sat at the table, staring at the cup of tea growing cold in his hand.

"Having second thoughts, my son?"

He looked up. "Well, kinda, Mom." He sighed. "Every time I look at _her_, I feel...well, like I let her down." He smiled slightly. "I figured it'd be the other way around; her hating _me_. But it's not."

Nodoka nodded. "You've always been kind, Ranma. You, as _her_, have forgiven you, but you, as _he_, feel that you owe it to _her_ to make up for what you've done."

"Well, yeah." He sipped the tea, winced at the cold, tannic flavour.

"There is a way to make it up to her."

"How?"

"Treat her as your sister," said Nodoka. "Prove to her that you still value her. I'm going to treat her as my daughter, of course, so it only makes sense."

"Mom...she ain't gonna really be happy with you turnin' her into a daughter."

"_You_ did that, not I."

Ranma winced.

"But I think that you're worried that I'm going to turn her into some kind of stereotype, and that she'd hate being forced into that mold."

"Well, I never liked it," he admitted.

Nodoka sighed. "I'm sorry, Ranma. If you'd just told me the truth--"

"I know." He hung his head.

"But don't worry. I'll be able to cope with having a daughter who used to be a son." She smiled. "That girl's going to cause me no end of trouble, I can tell. But I won't push her into anything." Her expression softened. "The two of us have already put her through so much."

* * *

Kasumi closed the front door as quietly as she could. Nabiki was spending the night at a friend's house, and Father and Uncle Saotome wouldn't be back until tomorrow, but Akane, Ranma and Auntie Saotome were certainly in bed and asleep at this hour.

Well, a train wreck probably wouldn't wake up Ranma, but there were the other two to consider.

She removed her shoes, then ascended the stairs to the second level. She noticed that Akane's door was somewhat ajar, and opened it a bit more, to check on her sister.

And gasped. Curled up in the bed with Akane was Ranma. He was in his girl form, and both wore pajamas, but still...

She closed the door quietly, resolved to have a word with the two in the morning. _After all, they're engaged, but not yet married. And Ranma was sleeping with her as a girl! It's just not...proper._

* * *

"Hi, Kasumi."

Kasumi turned to see Ranma walking into the kitchen. He looked tired and distracted, like something had kept him up all night.

As she feared.

She set down the knife she'd been using - no need to risk an accident - and turned towards him. "Good morning, Ranma-kun. May I have a word with you?"

"Huh? Oh, sure."

She paused; how exactly to approach this? "I am glad that you and Akane are getting along better recently. However, I do think you shouldn't rush into anything."

"Rush...?" Ranma grinned. "Oh, I know what you're talkin' about. Don't worry, Kasumi, I _did_ think about it. An' me and Akane talked about it for a while, too."

Kasumi felt a bit dazed; perhaps she had misunderstood what she'd seen. "You did?"

"Yeah. Of course, we gotta talk about it, whenever the old ghoul is involved."

Kasumi _prayed_ that she was misunderstanding. "The old ghoul...you mean Cologne?"

"Heck, Kasumi, who else do I ever call that?"

Kasumi closed her eyes and tried to repress a very unpleasant image.

"Mom was real happy when she found out, which is good, 'cause I was kinda worried."

Kasumi winced.

"Good morning, Kasumi!"

Kasumi opened her eyes, glanced over to the doorway of the family room, to see Ranma, in girl form, walking in.

She glanced back at the Ranma, in boy form, in front of her.

"Ah, Ranma...and Ranma...could you wait just a moment?" She turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Ranko glanced over at Ranma. "You haven't told her yet, have you?"

Ranma scratched his head. "I thought I had."

Kasumi walked back into the family room, a steaming cup of water in one hand, and a cup of cold water in the other.

Ranko snickered. "I don't think you did, Oniichan. At least, not properly."

* * *

Kasumi shook her head at the sight before her.

Ranma sat on one side of Akane, dressed in his normal chinese clothing, his hair still damp from the cold water. And still male.

On the other side of Akane was his girl form, insisting that she was still Ranma...except that she was calling herself Ranko again. She was dressed in a pair of Akane's flannel pajamas, a bit long in the sleeve and leg, but loose enough that she didn't voice her usual complaints about them being too tight across the chest.

"It's...rather difficult to adjust to, you know."

Ranma smirked. "Don't worry, Kasumi. You'll get used to it soon enough."

"I don't know, Ranma." She set her teacup on the table. It rattled as it touched the wood.

Akane gaped.

Ranma leaned forward. "Kasumi, trust me. It's not a bad thing!"

"Oh, I do believe that, Ranma." She turned to Ranko. "I hope you'll be happy living with us, until your mother's house is repaired. Please, think of this as your home, Ranko-chan."

Ranko winced at the '-chan' ending, then put on her sweetest smile. "Thank you, Kasumi. You've always made me feel welcome before, and I know you'll do so in the future."

Kasumi giggled. "That's not really the Ranma I know. Ranma was never that polite before." She shook her head. "I don't know if I'll be able to adjust to this--to having two Ranmas, but only one that I really know."

Akane nodded. "It's kinda disturbing, really, how quickly you _do_ get used to it, Oneechan. They're more alike than you'd think. It's been less than three hours, not counting sleep, and I already feel like I've known Ranko for years." She looked to the smaller girl, a guilty expression on her face. "I mean...because I _have_ known you for years, really."

Ranko snickered.

Akane pushed on. "Because she's still Ranma, in almost every way." She shyly took Ranko's hand, a sad look in her eyes. "The same Ranma I've...come to care about. But now I have to care for you like a sister, instead of..." Her other hand fumbled to her left, grabbing Ranma's hand.

Ranko gave Akane's hand a squeeze, and whispered, "It's okay, Akane."

Kasumi smiled. "Well, then I had best pack another bento. Just because you've suddenly gained a twin sister, Ranma, doesn't mean you can be late for school."

Ranma blinked, and nodded. "Good old Kasumi. Business as usual."

* * *

Nodoka smiled as Ranko came down the stairs, dressed in a Furinkan school uniform.

"You look lovely this morning, Ranko-chan." It was a lie; Ranko's eyes were a bit red and puffy, and her hair, still in its masculine style, was in disarray. But a mother is supposed to be supportive.

"Thanks, Mom." She winced at the "-chan" suffix, then chuckled. "Akane offered me one of her older uniforms, but I remembered that I had one from..." She frowned. "Can't really remember, some disguise or somethin', but here it is."

"You know, Ranko," said Akane, "that uniform doesn't look quite right with boxers. Surely you've got some panties--"

Ranko scowled at Akane. "Yeah, I've got some, thanks for mentioning it in front of everyone. But the ones I have were for luring Happousai; there's no way I'm wearing 'em with this."

Nodoka added, "It's also customary to wear a bra with the uniform." She raised a hand as Ranko whirled to glower at her. "I'm not trying to make you angry, dear, but you'll quickly discover that a bra gives better support for an active young lady." She sighed. "I know that you have a tendency to get into fights...Surely you don't want to lose a battle because you are...improperly restrained."

Ranko sighed. "Guess I shoulda known I'd end up doin' this...But the only bra and panties I have are bright scarlet and lacy. Y'know, the sorta thing the old lech would go for." She tilted her head. "Ya don't want your daughter wearin' that sorta crap, do ya?"

"Language, Ranko-chan." Another wince from the girl. Nodoka paused, then continued. "No, I suppose you're right. But unless you are to borrow a set--"

"Forget it," growled Akane. "That's way above and beyond the call of duty."

Ranko snapped her fingers. "Got it! Mom, remember when you took me out to buy a bra?"

Nodoka nodded. "Yes, I remember you'd insisted on only the plainest. I thought it odd...but the one we got you came in a package with two pairs of panties. All plain cotton."

"Problem solved." She turned to Ranma. "Can you go and grab them? They're in the bag with the green dress, stuffed in the very back of the top shelf of your closet."

"Yeah, sure." Ranma stood and walked towards the stairs.

Ranko waggled a finger at him. "And don't look at 'em! Just bring the whole bag!"

Nodoka leaned towards Akane and whispered, "And Ranma was afraid I'd force her into this."

* * *

Akane had stated some important need to be at school early, and Nabiki always left before the others; so it was that Ranma and Ranko found themselves alone on the walk to school.

"Hey, Ranko. Can I ask you somethin'?"

Ranko shrugged. "Sure."

Ranma considered for a bit before continuing. "Look, I'm sorry I got you stuck in this--"

"You mean _we_ got us stuck in this."

"Yeah."

"Don't worry...I went into this with my eyes open. Well, mostly." She chuckled. "But I gotta tell ya, it's takin' all my willpower to go through with some of this." She picked at her waistband. "These things I'm wearin' fit better to this body, I gotta say, but it's just...wierd, wearin' 'em."

Ranma stopped and turned to face his sister. "That's what I don't get. You're still me, at least mentally, but you're doin' all this girly stuff. Bein' polite, wearin' a bra and a dress--"

She smiled sadly. "But I am a girl."

Ranma threw up his hands. "I know that! But I just can't figure out why you're doin' it all. I mean, we've both been raised to be manly. How can you just shrug it all off?"

"Because I have to." She sighed. "You remember why we did this?"

"Sure, for Akane."

"Ranma, we both know you're gonna marry Akane, and not too long from now. You've both only got a year left at Fuurinkan, and you're both going to the same university. You think that Mom, Tendo or Kasumi are gonna sit still for you two livin' together unless you're married?"

"Well...no."

"Akane's in love with you. And, unfortunately, with me. I don't wanna get in the way." She looks down. "It's gonna hurt like hell to give her up, but I'm doin' this for you. You deserve a bit of happiness...and if I don't do somethin' about it all, Akane's gonna be torn between us." She looked up, and Ranma was astonished to see tears in her eyes. "Best thing I can do is be your sister...Akane's sister-in-law...a good, close friend. And that means I gotta be a girl, in every way."

"Does bein' a girl make you think better? 'Cause I woulda never thought of any of that."

Ranko grinned. "I had most of last night to think about it...couldn't sleep well."

"Well, at least one of us is thinkin'," said Ranma. "Do me a favour, though, all right?"

"Sure."

"Bein' a girl's fine an' all, but don't be a sissy. I want a good opponent to spar with."

She laughed.

They walked in silence for a moment, then Ranma spoke up again. "Look, I just want you to know that, even though you're kinda freakin' me out--"

"You and me both, big brother."

"Yeah. Despite that, I'm gonna do whatever I can to help you through this, okay? Anythin' you need, just ask."

"Okay, two things."

"Shoot."

"First, don't _ever_ call me Ranko-chan."

Ranma laughed. "Yeah, that'd bug the hell outta me, too."

"Second is a bit tougher." Ranko pointed to the Furinkan school gate ahead. "Can you deal with him?"

"Him" was Kuno Tatewaki. And from the look on his face, he was more stunned than usual.

* * *


End file.
